Stage up your content material advertising funnel — right here’s how I make the suitable content material for every stage

Creating content material for each funnel stage is about extra than simply cranking out weblog posts. It’s simple to fall right into a routine — publishing the identical sorts of items with out stopping to ask in the event that they’re what your viewers truly wants at that second.

At one SaaS firm I labored with, we have been happy with our output — dozens of “how-to” weblog posts that pulled in regular site visitors. However after I appeared nearer on the analytics, these posts weren’t changing in any respect. We have been filling the calendar, not transferring individuals nearer to a call.

It lastly dawned on me that there’s a giant distinction between content material that will get clicks and content material that strikes consumers ahead. Pair the suitable asset with the suitable stage of the journey, and also you create momentum that results in gross sales.

On this put up, I’ll stroll you thru the three levels of the content material advertising funnel, the sorts of content material that work greatest for every, and the way to ensure each piece you create helps your viewers take the following step.

Desk of Contents

Google and BCG counsel entrepreneurs ought to map affect based mostly on behaviors — like how individuals stream, scroll, search, and store — relatively than counting on conventional funnel levels. I believe that’s a wise evolution, and one which displays how messy decision-making is as we speak.

In accordance with G2’s 2024 Purchaser Conduct Report, which surveyed practically 2,000 B2B decision-makers, consumers strongly desire self-service all through most levels of their buying course of. In truth, 69% of consumers sometimes have interaction with salespeople solely after they‘ve already made their determination. This implies your content material for each funnel stage must work tougher to affect choices whenever you’re not within the room.

I nonetheless use the funnel as a planning software as a result of it retains me targeted on overlaying each stage — even when individuals do not transfer by way of it in a straight line.

Let’s begin on the prime.

Prime of the Funnel (ToFu)

On the prime of the funnel, persons are simply beginning to notice one thing‘s not working. Perhaps their group productiveness is slipping, or they’re lacking deadlines, however they will‘t fairly put their finger on why. They’re not purchasing for options but — they’re attempting to determine what the precise downside is.

This stage is the place I create content material that helps them join the dots. I need to give them language for what they‘re experiencing and assist them perceive why it’s price addressing. At this stage, I‘m not attempting to promote something — I’m attempting to be genuinely useful so that they bear in mind us once they’re able to discover options.

ToFu content material contains:

• Weblog posts addressing goal prospects’ on a regular basis struggles
• Infographics showcasing business statistics
• LinkedIn posts sharing fast technique suggestions
• Quick movies explaining business tendencies

Center of the Funnel (MoFu)

In the midst of the funnel, prospects actively analysis their choices. They’ve outlined their downside and are exploring options — evaluating instruments, studying critiques, and evaluating how your providing stacks up.

Now I‘m targeted on proving we all know what we’re speaking about. Individuals at this stage have carried out sufficient analysis to ask considerate questions, they usually need to see proof that we are able to ship. I spend time on content material that demonstrates our experience — case research displaying actual outcomes, sincere comparisons that acknowledge trade-offs, and in-depth guides that transcend surface-level recommendation.

MoFu content material contains:

• In-depth guides with actionable suggestions
• Case research highlighting buyer success
• Detailed social media posts exploring particular challenges
• Comparability charts displaying product variations

Backside of the Funnel (BoFu)

On the backside, consumers are practically able to act — they’ve carried out their analysis and wish that ultimate confidence enhance to maneuver ahead.

By this stage, most individuals have already determined they need to resolve their downside — now they’re simply selecting who to work with. The content material I create right here is all about decreasing danger and making the choice simpler.

When somebody can attempt the product without cost or see exactly how a lot cash they‘ll save, instantly saying sure doesn’t really feel like such a giant leap.

BoFu content material contains:

• Free audits, trials, or technique consultations
• Testimonials from glad prospects
• Stay demos displaying product worth
• Reductions or limited-time affords

Colleen Barry, head of selling at Ketch, places it completely: “Content material is not nearly attracting clicks, it is about guiding potential prospects by way of a decision-making course of. In case your content material would not match their stage within the journey, you will both overwhelm them with an excessive amount of data too quickly or depart them hanging with out sufficient particulars to decide.”

ToFu content material sparks curiosity. MoFu builds confidence. BoFu provides individuals causes to behave. When these items work collectively, conversion charges enhance — and so does your relationship along with your viewers.

In fact, understanding the levels is one factor — creating the suitable content material on the proper time is one other. And to maintain all the things organized and measurable, I like to recommend utilizing a content material advertising platform to trace how your content material is acting at every stage.

A content material mapping template is likely one of the greatest instruments I‘ve used for this. It reveals you precisely the place you may have gaps — like whenever you notice you may have twenty weblog posts for individuals who’ve by no means heard of you, however nothing for somebody able to decide.

Not each journey follows the identical sample — a startup founder weighing a six-figure software program funding wants very completely different touchpoints than somebody shopping for a water bottle.

For B2B consumers, I typically see extra time spent in consideration — they want in-depth content material that builds belief and makes the case to your answer. With B2C, the main target tends towards top-of-funnel: fast worth, simple wins, and powerful visuals that create urgency or curiosity.

Content material Advertising Funnel Template

To visualise this, I typically come again to the basic funnel framework: Consciousness → Consideration → Resolution. It’s not good, but it surely helps manage each content material sorts and metrics in an actionable approach — particularly when collaborating with different groups.

By understanding how completely different personas analysis and consider, you possibly can construct content material for each funnel stage that helps their journey from begin to end.

“Individuals may have your product however don’t all the time notice it,” says Natallia Slimani, content material supervisor at time monitoring software program Traqq. “For instance, individuals would possibly seek for productiveness suggestions or distant work recommendation earlier than they even know they want a time tracker.”

One profitable put up Traqq printed lined calculating time variations in Excel — a standard problem for his or her remote-working viewers. It is academic and useful, naturally surfacing Traqq as an answer with out turning into a gross sales pitch.

Supply

Professional tip: After I’m caught brainstorming weblog matters aligned with viewers ache factors, HubSpot’s Weblog Concepts Generator helps spark concepts. Simply plug in key phrases and let it generate related titles.

Featured Useful resource: Free Weblog Publish Templates

Obtain for Free

2. Social Media Publish

Social media is highly effective for ToFu — particularly for B2B audiences. With over 86% of adults on a minimum of one social platform, your viewers is nearly actually scrolling someplace on-line.

Since I work primarily with B2B SaaS shoppers, LinkedIn is my go-to. It is the place decision-makers hang around, and the place useful, context-rich posts achieve traction.

Analysis reveals LinkedIn carousel advertisements beat static codecs in engagement as a result of they allow you to inform visually-driven tales slide by slide. Even for natural content material, carousel-style posts work properly as a result of they break advanced concepts into bite-sized slides.

Carousel-style posts permit you to break advanced concepts into bite-sized slides. You should use codecs like:

• Fast “5-step guidelines” for content material planning
• Mini-case examine with downside → consequence on separate slides
• Chew-sized myth-buster sequence that challenges assumptions

Professional tip: Begin with a repurposed weblog perception or stat, design a PDF with a transparent hook and clear visuals, and add it as a doc put up on LinkedIn. Even easy Canva slides work properly.

3. Whitepaper

Whitepapers set up thought management with out large budgets. These complete reviews (sometimes 5–20 pages) mix authentic analysis, business insights, and sensible suggestions to deal with particular enterprise challenges.

LinkedIn’s 2025 Office Studying Report exemplifies this completely — a worldwide examine surveying over 1,600 L&D professionals, delivering actionable insights on studying engagement tendencies with out pushing LinkedIn Studying upfront.

Supply

Why it really works:

• Most HR groups take care of the identical complications round worker improvement
• They used precise survey information and consumer stats, not simply opinions
• You get by way of many of the report earlier than realizing LinkedIn has a studying product

Making a whitepaper isn‘t one thing solely large corporations can do. At one firm, I took our annual buyer satisfaction survey and turned it right into a report about distant work tendencies. One other time, we analyzed our assist tickets and located patterns that turned an business whitepaper. The trick is taking a look at data you’re already accumulating and determining what story it tells about your business.

And bear in mind, the influence doesn’t cease on the PDF. I all the time repurpose the content material into weblog posts, LinkedIn carousels, e mail snippets — all driving site visitors again to the principle piece.

4. Guidelines

When a activity feels overwhelming, checklists make it doable. You‘re not simply serving to your viewers keep organized — you’re giving them the arrogance to take motion.

Moz has an awesome search engine optimisation Audit Guidelines that walks by way of what to examine and why it issues. It covers necessities like crawlability, on-page search engine optimisation, and hyperlink evaluation — all in a format that’s helpful and straightforward to observe.

Supply

I’ve seen checklists like this work exceptionally properly when a course of has a lot of transferring components. They’re implausible top-of-funnel assets as a result of they provide audiences fast wins — no strings hooked up — whereas constructing belief.

5. How-To Video

Generally, one of the simplest ways to resolve an issue is studying new expertise. That’s the place how-to movies shine — particularly within the consciousness stage.

HubSpot’s YouTube channel is full of academic movies serving to entrepreneurs degree up. One current favourite covers discovering your target market in 2025, strolling by way of a six-step framework with a free template.

In the event you‘re attempting to succeed in individuals who don’t know they want your product but, how-to movies are nice beginning factors. They construct belief, present actual worth, and set the stage for deeper engagement later.

6. Equipment or Instrument

Generally, early-stage prospects don’t desire a deep-dive report — they need shortcuts. Easy instruments or templates assist them get began sooner, and that utility builds model belief.

Notion does this properly with its Advertising Venture Temporary — a free template serving to entrepreneurs manage campaigns, key messages, and metrics in a single place.

Why it really works:

• Solves an actual downside for entrepreneurs: aligning a number of stakeholders
• Prepared to make use of with zero friction to get began
• Showcases Notion’s worth by way of firsthand product expertise

I’ve labored with shoppers on comparable templates — marketing campaign price range planners, messaging frameworks, and onboarding checklists. These instruments drive sign-ups and develop into evergreen lead magnets that ship worth lengthy after launch.

7. Book or Tip Sheet

Generally audiences want greater than fast weblog posts however aren’t prepared for whitepapers. Ebooks and tip sheets bridge that hole — lengthy sufficient for actual worth, quick sufficient to remain approachable.

Hootsuite’s “What’s Social Media Advertising?” information breaks down the basics in ways in which work whether or not readers skim or examine deeply, explaining core ideas with out assuming experience.

Why it really works:

• Explains ideas with out assuming deep experience
• Organized clearly with visible examples and quick takeaways
• Introduces key challenges earlier than mentioning the platform

Supply

I’ve seen ebooks like this work properly as gated content material for rising your e mail record — particularly when paired with a lead magnet that guarantees one thing particular (“Get the seven methods prime manufacturers use to develop on social”). And later, you possibly can slice it up into weblog posts, LinkedIn carousels, and publication content material.

Featured Useful resource: 36 Free Book Templates

Obtain for Free

8. Academic Webinar

I like webinars since you get to have precise conversations along with your viewers. I‘ve run each reside periods and pre-recorded ones, and what works properly is that folks be a part of anticipating to be taught one thing sensible— they’re not there to be offered to.

Once you usher in visitor specialists or dive into business challenges, you construct credibility earlier than you ever speak about what you are promoting.

Canva’s current webinar sequence introduced in CMOs from HubSpot and Stripe to speak about advertising effectivity. As an alternative of simply having Canva individuals current, they created panel discussions about actual issues like utilizing AI in advertising campaigns and managing inventive groups at scale.

What made it sensible:

• Having outdoors executives meant it did not really feel like a Canva gross sales pitch
• They targeted on matters entrepreneurs are fighting proper now
• One webinar turned a number of weblog posts, social content material, and e mail newsletters

Supply

I’ve run comparable webinars utilizing easy platforms like Zoom with stable slide decks. Success comes from professional content material and format, not complexity. Effectively-delivered periods on helpful matters gasoline a number of follow-ups and maintain manufacturers prime of thoughts.

MoFu: Consideration

As soon as somebody is aware of who you’re, it’s all about deepening the connection. Center-funnel content material nurtures leads, builds belief, and helps audiences consider choices — together with your services or products. Consider it because the useful, no-pressure buddy who factors somebody towards a wise subsequent step.

This stage tends to contain extra prolonged engagement. You’re not simply grabbing consideration anymore — you’re establishing credibility and guiding individuals towards choices with out arduous promoting.

In my expertise, MOFU content material works properly throughout:

• Weblog (particularly gated or longer-form content material)
• E-mail advertising
• Webinars
• Case research or buyer success hubs
• Product pages or comparability pages

Let’s check out the sorts of content material that assist transfer somebody from curious to significantly contemplating your answer.

1. Product Comparability Guides

When somebody’s weighing choices, good comparability guides may be the distinction between them selecting you or clicking away. I’ve created loads of these for shoppers in aggressive industries, and I’ve discovered that one of the best ones don’t simply spotlight what makes your product nice — they spotlight what makes it nice for a particular purchaser sort.

I all the time begin with the actual ache factors I do know the viewers is going through. Then, as an alternative of simply rattling off a listing of options, I stroll by way of how every answer — ours and the options — tackles these issues. That construction makes it simpler for the reader to self-identify and really feel assured of their decisions.

Kevin Dam, CEO and founding father of Aemorph, defined his group’s method:

“We did not simply record options; we additionally answered widespread complaints, added case research, and made the decision to motion robust. The web page did higher than opponents and had a 30% greater gross sales fee than a standard product web page.”

Right here’s how I method it:

• Use plain language, not advertising jargon. Nobody desires to decipher buzzwords once they’re attempting to decide.
• Be sincere about trade-offs. A purchaser who feels such as you’re giving them the entire image is extra prone to belief you.
• Add in mini case examine snippets or testimonials to bolster every differentiator.

Comparability guides are a few of the most useful MoFu content material you possibly can create — however provided that they’re genuinely useful. I consider them much less like gross sales instruments and extra like determination instruments. When carried out proper, they do each.

2. Case Research

When somebody’s within the consideration section, they’re not simply asking, “Does this product work?” — they’re asking, “Will it work for my state of affairs?” That’s the place well-executed case research shine.

I‘ve seen case research work greatest once they observe a easy story: right here’s what was damaged, right here‘s what we did, and right here’s what occurred. You‘re not attempting to make all the things sound good — you’re simply being sincere about what modified.

Right here’s how I construction case research:

• Concentrate on relatable issues audiences probably face
• Embody tangible, metrics-backed outcomes
• Use actual buyer quotes, making tales private and plausible

Asana’s case examine with Zoom reveals how they introduced visibility and effectivity to IT workflows. Outcomes are concrete: 667 workdays saved yearly, over 90% program adoption, and smoother collaboration between technical and nontechnical groups.

Supply

What makes it efficient isn’t simply the result — it’s how the story connects with ache factors that consumers navigate on this stage.

Featured Useful resource: 3 Free Case Research Templates

Obtain for Free

3. Free Pattern

Some merchandise you simply must expertise firsthand earlier than you commit to purchasing them. That’s what makes free samples intelligent consideration-stage techniques, particularly for bodily merchandise or something that advantages from hands-on expertise.

Take VistaPrint’s free enterprise pattern package. It contains examples of enterprise playing cards, brochures, and different print supplies, giving potential prospects a really feel for the standard earlier than they commit. For tactile merchandise like print, digital content material alone can’t all the time shut offers — however as soon as somebody holds the product of their palms, that ultimate determination will get simpler.

I’ve seen this work greatest when samples are:

• Straightforward to request (no hoops to leap by way of)
• Aligned with what consumers consider
• Helpful even with out an instantaneous buy

Supply

Whereas free samples aren’t as widespread in B2B SaaS, the identical precept applies. I’ve labored on comparable affords at corporations the place we offered restricted entry to templates, toolkits, or starter dashboards — bite-sized variations of the actual factor that present the product’s worth and not using a full trial.

BoFu: Resolution

As soon as somebody reaches the choice stage, they’ve probably narrowed their choices. They’ve carried out the analysis — now they’re searching for validation and causes to really feel assured about their alternative.

At this level, I concentrate on eradicating remaining hesitation. Meaning answering objections, showcasing worth clearly, and making subsequent steps as simple as attainable. The aim isn‘t pushing — it’s making choices really feel like no-brainers.

Handiest channels for BoFu content material:

• Web site (particularly product and pricing pages)
• E-mail advertising
• Stay chat or chatbot assist

Listed below are the sorts of content material I depend on to assist shut the hole between consideration and conversion.

1. Free Trial or Stay Demo

On the determination stage, among the finest conversion techniques is letting prospects expertise merchandise themselves. Free trials and reside demos give consumers possibilities to see merchandise in motion with out gross sales strain.

Free trials work exceptionally properly for B2B SaaS, the place customers can discover options independently and visualize how merchandise match workflows. Stay demos let groups stroll by way of instruments with prospects, reply particular questions, and tailor pitches to their wants.

Buffer is a wonderful instance of this method. Whereas the corporate affords a free plan, it additionally encourages customers to begin premium function trials. Its pricing web page reduces confusion and makes the following steps simple.

Supply

I’ve seen groups enhance conversion by pairing trials or demos with decision-stage content material like ROI calculators, product guides, or buyer tales.

That’s what the group at emma, a cloud administration platform, did once they observed prospects hesitating over worth.

Dirk Alshuth, CMO at emma, explains: “Potential prospects typically hesitated attributable to pricing issues, so we constructed a software that confirmed precisely how a lot money and time they might save. This labored as a result of it tackled a significant buying objection with actual, personalised information. It elevated demo requests by 35% as a result of prospects may clearly see the worth of our product earlier than even talking to gross sales.”

2. Session Supply

Not each prospect is able to dive right into a product on their very own — typically, they need to discuss to an actual individual first. That’s the place a session supply will help bridge the hole.

In B2B, particularly with extra advanced options, I’ve discovered free consultations construct belief and create a pure subsequent step for consumers who nonetheless have questions. It’s not nearly pitching — it’s providing sensible steering in trade for his or her time.

After I advocate session affords, I concentrate on:

• Making scheduling simple with instruments like Calendly or HubSpot assembly hyperlinks
• Being clear about what consultations embody and what consumers can count on
• Highlighting the experience of these they’re going to communicate with

This format works notably properly when consumers weigh a number of suppliers and need tailor-made recommendation. Framing periods as useful, no-pressure conversations typically lowers boundaries and improves conversion charges.

3. Coupon

Coupons attraction to a concern of lacking out (FOMO) mindset. By decreasing costs, coupons deal with worth objections whereas convincing prospects they‘re leaving cash on the desk in the event that they don’t act. This inertia is usually sufficient to win enterprise.

Analysis reveals 62% of U.S. shoppers actively search for promo codes when buying on-line, making well timed incentives highly effective conversion instruments.

Lovevery, which sells stage-based play kits for baby improvement, affords $10 off first orders in trade for e mail addresses and kids‘s start dates. This pop-up drives conversions whereas personalizing experiences for every household’s wants.

Supply

I’ve seen comparable techniques work in B2B, too. Issues like early-adopter pricing, limited-time bundles, or promotional reductions tied to particular campaigns will help scale back friction with out devaluing your product. The secret’s making affords related, time-sensitive, and straightforward to behave on — delivering them when intent is excessive.